Director's illegal waste storage led to major fire

The blaze led to clean-up costs of over £2m

The former director of a Lancashire waste storage site has been sentenced after being found guilty of seven offences relating to illegal practises that led to a major fire.

The blaze at Supa Skips in Lancaster, linked to abandoned waste, caused significant disruption and clean-up costs of over £2m in December 2023, the Environment Agency (EA) said.

Thousands of tonnes of combustible waste were stored in breach of permits, Preston Crown Court heard, with operations continuing despite a suspension notice at the Lune Industrial Estate business.

Oliver Kirkbride, of Whitehaven, Cumbria, received a 16-month suspended sentence, with the 38-year-old also ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work.

Large quantities of combustible waste were stored far in excess of a 500-tonne, seven-day limit set in the site's environmental permit, the EA said.

The subsequent fire led to £2m in clean-up costs.

Thousands of tonnes of combustible waste were stored in breach of permits

In February 2022, it suspended the site's permit because of the fire risk, but waste imports continued until April 2022, and then under a second company until October 2022.

The site's permit was revoked in November 2022.

Between September 2021 and October 2022, Kirkbride, as a company director, was found to have deliberately breached environmental permit limits, operated unpermitted waste sites, repeatedly failed to comply with enforcement notices and deposited waste without the necessary authorisations, the court heard.

Further offences involved waste storage breaches and the illegal use of a unit which had no permit.

Following sentencing, the EA said Kirkbride "repeatedly and deliberately ignored" enforcement action by "continuing to breach the law with no consideration for the environment or the community of Lancaster".

"His actions led to a major fire that ultimately caused weeks of harm and disruption to local residents and businesses," a spokesman said.

"This case demonstrates that we will continue to pursue and take robust action against anyone operating outside the law."